About 69% of U.S. homes have at least one type of smart gadget. Whether it’s a voice speaker, doorbell camera, or a smart refrigerator, technology that used to seem futuristic is now becoming the norm for many households.
Not all smart home upgrades are the same. Some are for convenience and others are more about saving money. So, if you choose wisely, you can end up with smart technology that has an ongoing return on investment.
Adding technology to your home can also increase its resale value. 65% of homebuyers say they would pay more for a home that had existing smart home technology.
With a new round of stimulus checks on the way, many people are investing in their homes, and things that save money and pay for themselves are some of the most popular upgrades.
If you’re looking for ways to add smart technology that’s going to pay you back in time and cost savings, here are several upgrades to consider adding to your home network.
Smart Home Security System
Not only does a home security system with smart locks, video cameras, and centralized surveillance make you and your family feel safer, it can also save you money.
Home insurance rates are on average 20% lower if a home has a security system installed.
The average homeowners insurance rate is $1,445 per year, according to ValuePenguin, so that’s a potential savings of $289 per year, plus the additional peace of mind for you and your family.
Smart Thermostat
Just a degree or two in temperature can make a big difference on your home energy bill. Smart thermostats are one of the investments that offer payback fairly fast and give you more control over your at-home comfort.
According to Nest, a smart thermostat saves homeowners on average 10% to 12% on their heating costs and 15% on cooling costs. This equates to a savings of between $131 and $145 every year.
Other key benefits beyond cost savings that you get from a home thermostat include:
- Convenience: You can have your thermostat learn a cycle to increase and decrease temperature automatically based upon your family’s lifestyle.
- Control: You can set home temperature from anywhere because it’s Wi-Fi enabled. Allowing you to keep a more energy efficiency temperature while your house is empty and have it at max comfort level by the time you get home.
- Insight: You get valuable data on thermostat use and temperature information that can help you further optimize your energy efficiency.
Voice Activated Speakers & Appliances
57% of people that use smart technology say that it saves them time, on average 30 minutes per day. Much of that time is saved through voice activated tasks.
Instead of having to go over and turn on the coffee maker or stop to get out your phone to set a reminder to pick up eggs on the way home, you can simply tell your gadgets to do it for you.
It’s becoming quite popular now to extend the capabilities of a voice speaker, like Alexa or Google Home, by connecting it to smart appliances. This allows you to give voice commands from any room, allowing you to get more done in less time.
Some of the smart appliances to consider connecting to your smart home network are:
- Smart coffeemaker
- Smart refrigerator
- Smart oven (like this one from Amazon)
- Smart vacuums
- Smart washers & dryers
- Smart dishwashers
Smart Home Entertainment system
Now you might be thinking that a sweet smart TV and sound system set up is more about convenience than cost savings. But because the pandemic has changed how we do things, including see movies, many people are investing in home entertainment that replicates as nearly as possible the same sound and voice experience as the theater.
While it’s true the experience is not going to precisely match the grandeur of a theater setup, with the right smart entertainment pieces put into place, you can definitely create a pretty nice at-home movie watching event.
Since the start of the pandemic, new movie releases have been put out on streaming services and for digital download, allowing you to be the first to watch in the comfort of your own home.
A digital download can cost between $15 to $20 on average for a new movie. That’s roughly the cost for one person to go to the movies and get a small drink and popcorn. So, for a family of four, you could end up saving about $45 per movie.
Enjoy Expert Setup for Your Smart Home Tech
Quantum PC Services can help your family with cost-saving smart home automation that makes your life easier. We can set up any type of home technology that you need!
Contact us today to learn more! Call 920-256-1214 or reach us online.
